The reductive alkylation of primary aromatic and aliphatic amines with aliphatic ketones has been achieved in aqueous acidic medium using commercially available, non-activated zinc dust catalyzed by a very small quantity of iridium bromide. Anilines react well in aqueous formic acid, whereas monoalkylamines require 1, 4-dioxane as a co-solvent and sulfuric acid as the proton source. A plausible mechanism via low-valent iridium hydride species ...
